Unlocking the potential of digital printing technology

Many coatings and adhesives manufacturers still use semi-automated or manual application technologies, such as spraying or brushing. Now, thanks to advances in digital printing technology, new possibilities are coming to light. Digital printing of coatings and adhesives offers manufacturers the opportunity to cut costs, reduce waste and increase design flexibility.

Covestro and TTP, Europe’s leading technology and product development company, have reached a milestone in digital coating and adhesive technology. TTP’s revolutionary technology for rapid digital application of coatings and adhesives, combined with Covestro’s tailored polyurethane raw materials, offers a new opportunity for digital printing in next-generation manufacturing.

The successful digital printing of polyurethane adhesives demonstrates a capability to print materials more challenging than typical jettable inks. This enables the industrial inkjet market to penetrate the industrial coatings and adhesives industry by overcoming traditional challenges with durability, resistance to environmental factors, and requirements for adhesion and bond strength.

Manufacturers in the automotive, furniture and construction markets, among others, can realize the benefits of digital printing technology including:

Mass customization and individualization

Additional workplace safety

Automation and localization of manufacturing

Functionalization of substrates

Reduced production footprint

Process and product usage efficiency

Reshaping the value chain

New potential business models

Although the feasibility of using digital printing to apply coatings and adhesives should be determined on a case by case basis, we have successfully proven to our customers that it can be done. At Covestro, we’ve seized this opportunity to think big and help reinvent what’s possible in coatings and adhesives.